Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Representatives of Mississippi State, Starkville, Mississippi Department of Transportation and Beep Inc. welcomed two electric-autonomous shuttles to the university campus earlier this month. Two routes will transport university and local community riders between the campus core, key housing locations and popular entertainment destinations. Pictured are, from left, Roderick Bailey, MDOT public transit deputy director; Lynn Spruill, Starkville mayor; Mark E. Keenum, MSU president; Jeremiah Dumas, MSU executive director of transportation; Shirley Wilson, MDOT public transit director; and Bri Kimmel, Beep, Inc. client success manager. PHOTO: Jonah Holland | Public Affairs

Administrators reach out to affected students from hurricane-impacted areas
Mississippi State Assistant Vice Provost for Student Success and Dean of Students Thomas Bourgeois is reaching out to numerous students from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to show support for those impacted by Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that made landfall last Thursday night [Sept. 26]. Bourgeois said the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President is encouraging students impacted in any way by the hurricane to respond or call 662-325-3611 so the university can ensure each student’s safety and provide the academic resources they need during this time. When students are facing a sudden crisis, including families impacted by severe weather or other disasters, the university’s Division of Student Affairs works with others on campus to help impacted students through difficult times.

CVM improves facilities, technology for patients, students
Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine facility now offers on-site neurology services, thanks to recent renovations. With the addition of a state-of-the-art MRI unit this fall and the college’s neurology services move from off-campus to the university, the CVM Animal Health Center is significantly advancing for patient care and educational opportunities for veterinary students. The new in-house MRI machine allows for immediate, high-quality imaging tailored to patient needs, a considerable improvement from the prescheduled, time-restricted imaging system. CVM Dean Nick Frank believes these improvements increase the strength of the facility and its students.

Sparking STEM enthusiasm: Bagley College of Engineering K-12 Outreach expands robotics opportunities for Mississippi students
Mississippi State’s Bagley College of Engineering continues to cultivate an energetic enthusiasm for technology and innovation in the next generation. Bagley Robotics, the university’s leading robotics education organization housed in the college’s Office of K-12 Outreach, facilitates VEX IQ robotics competitions and provides fourth through eighth grade students opportunities to engage with cutting-edge technology. This competition, which continues on Oct. 15 in Humphrey coliseum, helps students develop critical science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills. “The more I engage with Mississippi industry, the more I understand that there is a need for children to have at least seen robotics before,” said Nichole Peterson, program coordinator.

Applications open for annual community engagement awards
Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to apply for a 2024 Mississippi State University Excellence in Community Engagement Award on behalf of a project in the following categories: Community-Engaged Service, Community-Engaged Research and Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning. A $3,000 award will be given in each of those areas to recognize outstanding work and support its continuation. Projects that achieve honorable mention will receive $1,000. Applicants should be aware that the MSU CE Awards are not a grant proposal process but a recognition of existing projects. Submissions are due Oct. 30 at 11:59 p.m. Community Partner feedback forms are due by Nov. 1 at noon.

Reminder: University policy addresses employee political activity
With campaigning for elected offices underway this year, Mississippi State's Office of General Counsel offers the following reminder of the university’s policy on political activities. There are several basic guidelines that university employees should keep in mind when engaging in any form of political activity. MSU employees are encouraged to review OP 01.14: Political Activities in its entirety and to understand their rights and responsibilities.

Free learning opportunities via LinkedIn Learning available to faculty, staff and students
Sharpen skills. Explore new interests. Increase professional value. These and other results are now available via no-cost learning opportunities to Mississippi State faculty, staff and students through MSU’s new agreement with LinkedIn Learning. A popular, online education platform, LinkedIn Learning’s 20,000-plus courses are available to campus via a quick login using their MSU NetID email addresses. With self-paced learning, courses are presented in various formats, including bite-sized video, audio only and in-depth content. The platform is directly integrated with Canvas, the university’s learning management system. MSU faculty can use it to supplement course material or even develop and load their own content onto the platform.

Smoke-free policy enhances healthy environment
Mississippi State University is a smoke-free campus. Official policy prohibits the use of any combustible or vapor products anywhere on campus property including university buildings, university grounds, university vehicles, parking areas and sidewalks. The smoke-free campus policy is part of the university's commitment to creating a healthy environment for all members of the campus community. Use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookah or other similar devices are prohibited by this policy. The complete policy is available at www.policies.msstate.edu/policy/91301.

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A 90-Year Milestone: Aerospace Engineering celebrates near century of trailblazing education, research
The Department of Aerospace Engineering at Mississippi State University is celebrating its 90th anniversary with an invitation for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends to a Friday [Oct. 4] milestone event -- a day marking almost a century of groundbreaking teaching, research and service. Robert Green, Bagley College of Engineering interim dean, said the department “truly embodies Mississippi State’s mission of teaching, research and service.” He described the faculty and staff as passionate and dedicated to shaping the next generation of aerospace engineers, while being “committed to equipping talented minds with the skills and knowledge to make a meaningful difference in the world.”

Wang wins NSF CAREER award to study human-robot interactions within construction industry
With transformational research and a prestigious National Science Foundation award, Mississippi State’s Jun Wang develops new methods for the construction industry to utilize human-robot interactions in its practices. An assistant professor in MSU’s Bagley College of Engineering and the Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wang now can take her research even further as the university’s latest recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award. She is receiving $557,391 to further her research in integrating safe, efficient interactions between robots and the construction workforce.

Governor appoints Armstrong to statewide psychology board
Gov. Tate Reeves has appointed a Mississippi State University associate professor to the governing board regulating practicing Magnolia State psychologists. Kevin Armstrong is serving a five-year term on the Mississippi Board of Psychology. The board protects the well-being of the state’s citizens by ensuring only qualified individuals practice psychology. This is achieved through education and training credential review, basic competency exam administration, ongoing professional education requirements, practice complaint investigation, and professional standards and ethics violation penalty enforcement.

MSU-Meridian Mental and Behavioral Health services on track to begin in January
Mississippi State University-Meridian’s Mental and Behavioral Health clinic will launch mental health access and opportunity to the state’s diverse populations in January. Contracts are in place and renovations have begun on the third floor of the Regions Bank Building in downtown Meridian to prepare seven counseling rooms that will double as training spaces for graduate students. Services offered will treat children and adults through the lifespan while preparing graduating students to fill rural healthcare provider gaps statewide. The new facility will bring a new level of sophistication to training within the Division of Education by reintroducing faculty members to part-time practice, said Kim Hall, MSU associate dean of academic affairs who oversees the MSU-Meridian division.